Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fire
by Kristin Cashore

Rating: 5 stars; PG-13

Summary: In the Dells, which is not part of the Seven Kingdoms where Graceling takes place, dwell monsters. They look like ordinary animals: a horse, a dog, a bird, but they are brightly colored, very beautiful, can read and influence thoughts, and crave human flesh. Fire is the last of those monsters born looking like a human. While she is growing up, the Dells is falling further and further into ruin, and when the book picks up, it's right on the brink of war. Fire must decide between denying the monster within her, and trying to save the kingdom.

Opinions: Cashore's Graceling was my favorite book of last year (read, not released), and although it's rather early to call it, it looks as though Fire might be this year's top pick. Aside from the intriguing writing, any book that a) makes me cry several times and b) throw the book down in shock, is going to be a good book. Like Graceling, Fire had a good plot and excellent characters. Fire's (the character, not the book) struggle with her humanity (no pun intended) was really moving and had me in tears (or close to it) at least five times during the course of the book.

I have to hand it to Cashore for writing a book about a war that is about so much more than the battles. A lot of the book was the interaction between all the characters, and only a surprisingly small bit focused on actual fighting. That does not mean the book was boring, far from it (of course, you say, I rated it a 5!). Cashore managed to convey all the emotional tension of war even through the perspective of those more behind the scenes. Cashore truly writes believable characters that are completely real and flawed. Not a single character was completely perfect, which made them all the more compelling.

I rated this book a five because I was so completely blow away by it. It had that “wow-factor” that I look for in a book. The kind that has me telling myself I should not cry in front of the small children I babysit because I don't want to scare them. I gave it a PG-13 because there's some violence and some sexual content, but really all of that was very light. I don't recall any profanity, although that doesn't mean there wasn't any. For me, Kristin Cashore is 2 for 2, and I can't wait until her next book comes out.

Panama by Shelby Hiatt

Panama

By Shelby Hiatt

Rating: PG-13; 3 stars

Summary: A 15-year-old girl is eager to leave her boring life in Dayton, Ohio for one of exoticism and intrigue in Panama. There, she discovers that, unfortunately, life in “the Zone” area of the Canal is pretty much the same as life in Dayton. That is, until she meets Federico, a Spanish canal worker with a secret political agenda. Her obsession with him leads to the start of a friendship then, suddenly, much, much more. She spends the remainder of the book romancing (and sleeping with) Federico. She grows up and learns much about herself as the construction of the canal (and the book) comes to an end.

Opinions: To start off, I actually read a lot of reviews of this book because, for the life of me, I couldn't remember the name of the girl (none of the other reviewers could either, apparently). While reading these reviews, I couldn't help but notice a definite trend among the reviews: most thought it was inappropriate for the intended audience (some even calling it no more than a bodice-ripper) and that it was poorly researched. On the first point, I kind of see their point of view, but at the same time I've read books for teens that were a lot more graphic about sex, even if there was less sex in the story. On the second point, I have no comment. I honestly didn't notice any of the inaccuracies that were pointed out. The only thing that struck me was the fact that the book took place in the early 1900s, and this girl was going and having sex like it wasn't a big deal. Now I'm not naive; I know that teens had sex then, it just came across as odd to me that the whole book was based around that when it took place in such a, well, conservative period.

Other than that, I'll be honest: I enjoyed the book. It was not the best I've read by any means, but it was a nice, light-hearted romance that took my mind off the stresses of school and life. The only thing I can say I didn't like was my issue with the sex that I explained above. Other than that I thought it was an enjoyable read.

Now for the ratings: If this was a movie, it would be a pretty hard PG-13, if they kept the sex like it was in the book. Any more graphic than that and it would definitely be rated R. And I gave it 3 stars because the sex part really bothered me, not in a prude sort of way, just in a no-suspension-of-disbelief way. Still, the book was, overall, enjoyable.

The Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

The Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Rating: PG-13; 4 stars

Summary: The Prophecy of the Sisters tells the story of two sisters who, after their father dies, find out that they are part of an ancient prophecy that could bring about the end of the world. Each sister bears an opposing part in this prophecy, and one of the main issues is that the sisters feel that they were each given the wrong role. The "good" sister, from whose perspective the story is told, is thrust much more fully into danger since her sister refuses to help her change the ending of the prophecy.

Lia, the POV-character, spends the majority of the book learning about the prophecy. Towards the end of the book, she begins searching for the "keys" that will help end the prophecy in her favor (and in the favor of the rest of the world). The book has an open ending; I'm sure there will be a sequel (in fact, a little digging on Amazon reveals that it is the first book in a trilogy).

Opinions: This book took me a little by surprise. There was nothing I gleaned from the book jacket that pointed me towards the fact that it takes place in the Victorian Era. It was a very nice surprise. I love historical fiction, and have been waiting for another dark fantasy/historical novel since the Gemma Doyle Trilogy ended. This granted my wish.

This novel had me hooked to the unable-to-put-down point from about the middle onwards. Lia's quest for answers was very well-written. There weren't too many times when I figured things out before Lia did (an unfortunate side-effect of being a voracious reader). I felt like the characters were realistic and believable. This was definitely, IMO, a plot-based novel, as opposed to a character-based story. Even so, the characters were written just as well as the plot. The fact that it was the action and not the characters that moved the story forward was made irrelevant because both components were so well-written.

Now, the reasoning for my ratings. I wasn't sure if I should rate this PG or PG-13. There's virtually no swearing, no sex or nudity, but the story itself is inherently dark. I decided that were this a movie, it would probably be PG-13, even if it was a very mild PG-13. I also felt that 4 stars was a very good rating for this book. It was a very enjoyable read; there's nothing I can really complain about. But still, it didn't contain that "wow-factor" I'm looking for in a 4 1/2 or 5 star book. Still, it was a great book that I wholeheartedly recommend.

Bizenghast 6 by M. Alice LeGrow

Bizenghast 6 by M. Alice LeGrow

Rating: PG-13; 4 1/2 stars

Summary: I don't read a lot of manga. I figured I'd make that clear from the start. I'm not a Naruto fan (sorry to those who are); I wasn't into Sailor Moon back in the 90s. There have only been a few manga series I've really gotten into; Bizenghast is one of them.

Bizenghast 6 is, quite obviously, the 6th book in a 7 book series. The series follows the protagonist, Dinah, as she helps traps spirits move onto the Afterlife. Along the way she encounters many helpers, including the outrageously funny Edaniel. By the time book six rolls around, Dinah has developed from a troubled and frightened girl to a confident young woman who will no longer let the ghosts of her past keep her in a life of fear. As this is the penultimate book in the series, I won't say much more, lest I give anything away. And perhaps this review is a bit biased; I've been following the series since it first came out. Still, I don't think too many non-manga readers even know of its existence. Score one for the shameless plug department.

Opinions: For starters, this book was definitely a page-turner. This is unsurprising, considering (in my mind anyway) the vast majority of this book was the climax of the whole series. There was plenty of action to satisfy me, without the sacrifice of witty dialogue that is part of what makes Bizenghast so memorable.

One of the things that drew me to Bizenghast in the first place was the elegant costuming LeGrow has always incorporated into her work. This volume was no exception. The front cover features Dinah in a rather steam-punkish dress. Her clothing in the book is no less fabulous. I will note that this is the first book in which I noticed Dinah had only one hairstyle (this may have been present in other books; I just noticed it in this book).

Bizenghast isn't for everyone. While I wouldn't classify it as a horror series per se, the style the series is drawn in can include some frightening and/or grotesque images. There is also mild language (PG rating where language is concerned). I based my PG-13 rating on the whole series, not just this one book. Book 6 was actually a bit milder for the series.

I gave this book a 4 1/2 star rating as opposed to a five star rating mostly because of the hanging ending. I realize it's a marketing technique to keep people reading and blah blah blah. I don't care. It always bugs the crap out of me, especially when there's no word on when the next book is coming out. Still, aside from that one flaw, I would recommend this book (really, the whole series) to anyone who likes dark fantasy books, manga fan or not. I'm really looking forward to the final book in this series.